Team Pushover's Ants Build Log.

[Kyro]

yes its silicone...

https://youtu.be/OpvEGqUl8sQ here is a video of it in action...

sorry for the thread hijack RetroMan

[Retroman]

Yeah... hijacking my thread! Joking

Once I've fixed my wiring issues I'll get some pics up of it complete, I only have a single grabbing arm, like a low-poly Razer.

How do you find the double arm?

[Kyro]

i find it adds a bit of stability when grabbing and you get them with both... it also allows for you to be a little less acurate as its far wider than a single and therefore gives you effectively 2 chances of getting hold... and from 2 sides

only drawback really is weight... im a little more top heavy than if I had a single... but i redesigned it to account for the extra weight on top...

so really my only issue is if im a little too hasty after grabbing... if i lift them too fast, the weight can throw me back where i have to release them to save myself, and if i accellerate too quickly after a grab and lift it can cause the same issue...


as long as i take my time, theres not really any issues...

[Retroman]

Right, good to know, I almost went with a double myself? But the plastic I have is way too flexible and by the time I'd braced it enough to be useful I was flapping almost 50g overhead and winding it back to the self right position turned it turtle...

What's sort of torque are you grabbing with? I've got a 1.8 kg/cm motor in atm and it grabs really good but is pretty slow.

[Kyro]

the grab servo is just a tower pro mg90s... the lift servo is a crappy turnigy one... specs are good 2.5kg/cm .08 90° bit i have had 3 lock up on me... disecting them shows that the green plastic at either end of the stator inside the motor comes off and locks the motor up... i will be replacing all of my turnigy servo's with some towerpro mg92b servo's... these claim to be same speed but with 3.5kg torque... i have never really had issues with genuine towerpro servo's and honestly, not had many problems with even the fake ones...

due to the way my bot works, i dont need huge power in the grip as it only really needs to hold it there for the half a second it takes for me to lift it...

as for the grabber its self, mine is made only from 1mm polycarb... superglued together with a little hotglue to reinforce it... the way its put together is what gives it strength...


see here

[Retroman]

Ah right, mine doesn't lift or anything, just grab and ideally keep hold of, I've kept the more flexible arm on to protect the gearbox...

But, here she is! No base or rear plate yet still, and spinner scars still intact. In all its dull grey glory!


Edit: yay for working pictures!!!

[Kyro]

another tip to help keep hold of bots... if you make ridges on your wedge it will help keep wheels off of the wedge and less likely for a bot to drive off... kinda like what mantis has on its wedge but you wouldnt need them quite like mine...

and i think thats a lovely shade of primer grey

[Retroman]

I had been thinking about some sort of none-return kind of set up, inspired by those things at car parks, luckily though my wedge is only 72mm wide so I haven't faced anything narrow enoigh yet... yet...

And I prefer Battleship Grey... sound more 'Ard innit

[Kyro]

the non return thing is good as an idea, but in practice it works against you when trying to let a bot go (after 20 seconds or into the pit)

and i still think its a nice shade of pre blue rinse grey

[Retroman]

That was a legitimate worry and the primary reason it hasn't happened yet, although I do have a decent amount of spare weight left...

Once I get it up and running I need to turn my attention to Wej, it got snapped against Stolen Concept at Botfest and is looking very sorry for itself, but I have plans!!! Front hinge flipper with a target 350g+ lift at the very back of the arm... if it works it should be able to almost throw someone off the edge. It's a big if though.